Bourbon Poached Pears

This summer, apricots poached in bourbon were the perfect foil for summer heat and cold vanilla ice cream. And now that it is fall, it is time to move onto pears.

Bosc pears are perfect for this recipe, as they pair nicely with the reduced poaching liquid - which has a slight hint of butter and caramel.

With their elegant shape and dense flesh, bosc pears are perfect for poaching. I bought these beauties at the green market. But this time of year, they are also readily available in the grocery store.

When selecting pears for poaching, look for fruit that is uniform in size, firm and blemish free. If the fruit is too ripe, it will be difficult to peel and will dissolve in the poaching liquid.

The pears should be peeled and cored before poaching -- but leave the stems intact. (They looks pretty, and come in handy when lifting the poached pears.) A carrot peeler and melon baller make easy work of this task, while a paring knife can be used to level off the base. After the pears are peeled, a splash of lemon juice will prevent them from turning brown while you are finishing up.

The poaching liquid consists of bourbon, water, sugar and a split vanilla bean.  Before adding the pears, it is important to heat the liquid to completely dissolve the sugar. The poaching time will vary based on the variety of pear you are using, as well as the size and ripeness. For example, I poached (small) barlett pears earlier in the week, which took about 5 minutes; the bosc pears pictured here (which were very firm) took about 20 minutes on a low simmer.

The bottom line is, use your best judgement. The fruit is done when the point of a knife (or a wooden skewer) can be easily inserted -- but the pear is still firm enough to handle. If in doubt, remove the pears sooner than later. They will continue to soften as they cool.

After the pears are done, use a slotted spoon to carefully lift them out of the poaching liquid. I like to briefly drain them on a paper towel to absorb any excess liquid.  This step is especially important if you are going to bake with them.

While the pears are draining, reduce the poaching liquid until syrupy. The original recipe, adapted from Martha Stewart Living, suggested this should take about 15 minutes. I have found that it typically takes 30 minutes to reduce the liquid to a thick syrup.

Again, I would not use time as a gauge. Just reduce the liquid until it is the desired consistency. Be mindful that as the syrup reduces, it can quickly boil up. So keep an eye on it, and don't rush the reduction.

The pears are delicious served on their own, with some of the reduced poaching liquid. They are also delicious served with vanilla ice cream or a simple pound cake.

If you have any poaching liquid left over, don't throw it out. It stays well in the refrigerator for several weeks, and can be used to poach additional fruit. Enjoy!

The printable recipe is here.

Pears

In case you haven't noticed, we are now officially in the midst of autumn.  So around the green market, there is a noticeable absence of fresh berries, stone fruit and melons. But the same cannot be said for pears and apples.  They are everywhere. And thankfully, they have not been effected by the wet weather we have recently had in New York State.

There are many varieties of pears at the green market. Here are a few of my favorites:

Bosc Pears have long, slender necks. Their skin is typically brown and often russetted (Just look at that beauty in the foreground!). Because their flesh is aromatic and dense, these pairs are ideal for poaching and baking. 

Yellow and Red Barlett Pears are sweet and juicey. They are great pears to eat fresh and are sometimes used for cooking and canning.

Seckel Pears  (in the foreground) have a lovely green and maroon skin. They are very small (about the size of a fig) and ultra sweet. Seckels can be used as a garnish or eaten fresh. But I warn you, you can't have just one. They are like candy.

Update on Sunday, October 2, 2011 at 5:42PM by Michelle

These lovely pears are from the Prospect Hill Orchard in Milton, NY. The orchard has a fruit stand at the Tribeca Greenmarket every Saturday. In the summer, they are my "go-to" farmers for sour cherries and several varieties of apricots.  Their stone fruit, apples and pears are also amazing.

The orchard is owned by the Clarke Family. Pamela Clarke Torres brings their produce to market every week. She is smart, friendly and a wealth of knowledge. I always enjoy chatting with her. Here is a small video about the orchard, which was produced four years ago:

Preserving Summer's Bounty

I love autumn in NYC. But I have to admit, I am having a hard time letting go of the summer and all it's bounty. Wouldn't it be nice to can and freeze everything? But who am I kidding? I have neither the time, the space, nor the energy to do that.

So this year, I took a more measured and practical approach to preserving. I froze 5 pounds of sour cherries (enough for 2 pies) as well as 8 pints of raspberries (from my CSA fruit share).  I also made apricot, peach and raspberry jam -- some of which I will use and some of which I will give as gifts.  

And last weekend, I turned my attention to basil, corn and tomatoes. 

Around here, it is all about fast and easy.  And what is more easy than pasta with basil pesto and a side salad? In years past, I have frozen individual portions of pesto in ice cube trays. But pesto also stays a very long time in the refrigerator. The trick is to float a little olive oil on the top, so that it doesn't oxide and turn dark.

Traditionally, pesto is made with pine nuts. But in a pinch (or a frugal moment), you can also use walnuts or almonds. I make my pesto with pecorino, but it works equally well with parmigiano.

 

Mortar and pestle vs a food processor? In my kitchen, it is not even a discussion. I use my food processor, which makes for very light and efficient work.

I made a double recipe, equivalent to 2 cups.

This is the last of the Long Island corn that my mother sent home with me. It is earmarked for a batch of Peter Reinhart's corn bread in the fall. Four ears yielded 2 1/2 cups of kernels. I blanched the corn before cutting it off the cob and freezing it.

And as for the tomatoes, I had a mix of plum, beef steak, heirlooms and cherries.

I used the plum and beefsteak tomatoes to make a pot of tomato sauce. Normally, plum tomatoes are preferable for sauce, as they have fewer seeds and juice. But no matter. I just cooked the sauce down a little longer.

Tomatoe sauce can be canned, but it a bit involved. I chose instead to freeze the sauce in individual containers. 

As for the cherry and heirloom tomatoes, I slow roasted them in a low oven (with fresh rosemary, oregano, garlic and a drizzle of olive oil) for about 4 hours.

Dory Greenspan describes these tomatoes as "somewhere between fresh tomatoes and sun dried tomatoes. They are delicious right out of the oven as a side dish. They are also delicious in a salad or as a stuffing for grilled fish. 

I roasted 2 cookie sheets of tomatoes and packed them (with the garlic and herbs) in olive oil after they had cooled.

These tomatoes are delicious on crusty bread (with fresh mozzarella), in pasta or as a simple sauce for fish or meat. As an added bonus, you also get tomato and garlic infused olive oil!

Basil Pesto recipe is here

Basic Tomato Sauce recipe is here

Slow Roasted Tomatoes recipe is here

Quick Bite: Baked Flounder with Tomatoes and Basil

Every Saturday, farmers from the tri-state region brings their produce to the Tribeca Greenmarket. The market is small, but the quality and variety of produce is outstanding. The green market also sells meat, fish, cheese, butter, eggs, bread, baked goods and flowers. (And believe me, it would not be Saturday morning around here without a home made bialy from the Hot Bread Bakery!)

I purchased most of the ingredients for this recipe at the market, including the fish which was caught on Eastern Long Island. This recipe is delicious. But the fresh ingredients made it outstanding.

  

Tomatoes, basil and flounder are true harbingers of summer, which will soon be gone. So why not try this recipe while you still can?

5 fresh ingredients. One pan. 15 minutes to prepare. Need I say more?

This is a small video clip about the fisherman, Alex Villani, and his boat the Blue Moon. Alex fishes out of Mattituck, LI.

The printable recipe is here.